The Germans were fortunate that they had more time to abandon ship. Their fire suppression systems were out of action, engines out of action, and lifeboats were smashed, while the cargo hull still contained a number of mines with a raging fire. They managed to retrieve and launch life rafts and two steel lifeboats that were stored below, hoisting them out by brute force, and then evacuated the ship before the mines exploded in the fire.

Evidently the description of the battle from the German survivors was fairly accurate, looking at the images of the underwater wreckage. At the time, however, it was assumed that the Germans were exaggerating and that a Japanese sub had also been involved. Unfortunately, the Australians were duped into approaching too close to this innocent looking cargo ship.

Charley Noble